Recently, the 2024 JPM came to an end. As is well known, JPM is one of the largest healthcare investment and industry cooperation conferences in the global biopharmaceutical and health field, covering the entire global healthcare sector.At this conference, many well-known companies such as Novartis, Roche, Merck, Sanofi, BMS, AstraZeneca, and GSK participated.Large pharmaceutical companiesAs always, appeared at the conference, looking forPartners in the development of new drugs have sparkedA series of biotechnology M&A activities.We summarize the MNC transaction events of "two-way progress" by large pharmaceutical companies during this year's conference.According to incomplete statistics from PharmResearch Network,At least 11 M&A deals were generated during the 4-day conference.
Source: Statistics compiled by the Yaoyan Network teamIncomplete,Welcome to contribute
AndWhat is different from the past is: this year, there have been manyFaces of China.It is estimated that among more than 400Participating in the ConferenceAmong pharmaceutical companies, nearly 30 Chinese pharmaceutical enterprises have emerged.During the conference, China's deals sparked a lot of discussions and became a focal point in another way.Strong Collaboration Between Multinational Pharmaceutical CompaniesAmong the statistically trackable M&A (mergers and acquisitions) occurring between overseas companies, the two largest in scale are:Involve$3.7 billionBoston Scientific Acquires Axonics, and$3 Billion Lilly, Novartis & AI Drug Discovery CollaborationBoston Scientific Spends Big to Acquire Axonics, Aiming to Expand Urology Portfolio with Differentiated Technology for Treating Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction, Entering the Rapidly Growing Field of Sacral Neuromodulation to Benefit More Patients.
Alphabet's AI pharmaceutical company Isomorphic Labs announces two drug discovery agreements worth $3 billion with Eli Lilly and Novartis.Eli Lilly collaborates with it on the discovery of treatments targeting multiple disease-related proteins and pathways. Novartis partners with it, focusing on discovering small-molecule therapies for three undisclosed targets. Meanwhile, Isomorphic Labs hopes to adjust its AI model through collaborations with Novartis and Eli Lilly, aiming to understand how much fine-tuning its model requires to target specific drug targets.As Fiona Marshall, President of Novartis Biomedical Research, put it, this collaboration is truly a "match made in heaven."Isomorphic CEO Demis Hassabis said, "We are still in the early stages of testing the platform's predictions. How reliable are the AI models? Once we believe they are mature, then we can really push forward with internal projects full force."It is not hard to imagine that in the future, AI will be integrated into the Biotech field, becoming an indispensable support on its path to innovation.A large number of intensive M&A and BD activities are coming one after another.Novartis Acquires Autoimmune Company Calypso, with a total amount of 425 million US dollars, expanded the pipeline for inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases and obtained the so-called potential "best-in-class" anti-IL-15 antibody therapy CALY-002.MoxaChina's WuXi Biologics Acquires T-Cell Company Harpoon TherapeuticsThe latter is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing novel T cell engagers. MSD will acquire Harpoon Therapeutics' lead candidate HPN328, a T cell engager targeting delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3), which is in early to mid-stage testing for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and neuroendocrine tumors.Johnson & Johnson Acquires Former ADC Star Ambrx for $2 Billion in Emergency MoveThe latter is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a proprietary synthetic biotechnology platform for the design and development of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).Global Giant GSK Acquires Aiolos Bio for $1 Billion Upfront and $400 Million in Regulatory Milestone Payments。Aiolos Bio is a clinical-stage private biopharmaceutical company headquartered in San Francisco, USA, and London, UK, dedicated to developing new drugs for respiratory and immune system diseases.This acquisition target was established less than a year ago.。
It is worth mentioning that the establishment of Aiolos Bio is closely related to SHR-1905 from Hengrui Medicine, known as the "leading pharmaceutical company" in China.SHR-1905 (AIO-001) was exclusively licensed by Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to One Bio, a U.S.-based company (later renamed Aiolos Bio), for regions outside of Greater China. This acquisition enables GSK to obtain Aiolos' AIO-001, a potential best-in-class long-acting anti-thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) monoclonal antibody, which is poised to enter Phase II clinical development for the treatment of adult asthma patients, with potential additional indications including chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.Hengrui has made a substantial profit from this wave of TSLP assets, indirectly proving that Hengrui Medicine now fully possesses the ability to develop world-class original pipelines. This marks one of the milestones in its years-long transition from generic drugs to innovative medicines.
Chinese Pharma Deals Shine BrightOn the Eve of the JPM Conference,Argo Biopharma Signs Two Exclusive License and Cooperation Agreements with NovartisThe largest licence-out deal in terms of transaction amount since the beginning of 2024 has been generated.，ArgoGrant Novartis the overseas rights to a Phase 1/2a cardiovascular pipeline, the global rights to a Phase 1 cardiovascular pipeline, and options for no more than two additional cardiovascular pipelines targeting other indications.These pipelines are all siRNA drugs. Argo Biopharma will receive an upfront payment of $185 million, potential milestone payments totaling up to $4.165 billion, and tiered royalty fees.This is also the largest out-licensing deal in the small nucleic acid field to date.Argo has developed 27 pipelines in just over two years, including several potential First-in-Class (FIC) pipelines and some Fast Follow products with sizable market potential, covering a wide range of disease areas.
This conference, in addition to Johnson & Johnson's investment in ADC,Biocytogen and Radiance Biopharma Reach Bispecific ADC Agreement.This grants Radiance the right to opt for a license of Biocytogen's first-in-class fully human HER2/TROP2 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (bispecific ADC).Near the End of the Conference, WuXi Biologics and BioNTech Reach a Research Service Agreement. WuXi Biologics, through its patented technology platform (the "R" in CRDMO - Research Services), will develop antibodies targeting two undisclosed antigens for BioNTech to be used in researching next-generation drug candidates. WuXi Biologics will receive a $20 million upfront payment and is eligible for research, development, registration, and commercialization milestone payments, as well as tiered sales royalties. This research collaboration undoubtedly signifies that WuXi Biologics has gained technical recognition from an emerging biopharma company, helping to expand its influence in the European and American markets.Market: Brighter Prospects in 2024At JPM24, even the cold and rainy weather in San Francisco could not dampen the enthusiasm.Positive Atmosphere in Biopharmaceuticals in 2024. According to STAT News, investors and executives are generally optimistic.Optimistic AttitudeIt was unanimously believed that artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and GLP-1 drugs would gain momentum in 2024. The recent upward trend in biotechnology appears to be a lasting shift, with this assessment based on the $1.37 trillion M&A capacity of the top 25 healthcare companies in 2024, the second-highest figure in a decade.
As the 2024 JPM came to an end, the industry atmosphere gradually emerged through a series of transaction and acquisition cases. In the promising biopharmaceutical industry of 2024, the innovative achievements and potential value of Chinese pharmaceutical companies continue to rise.ByRecognized by large international pharmaceutical companies, it is bound to have the potential to expand into broader overseas markets and shine on the world stage in the future.
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